Fuel injection valve

ABSTRACT

A fuel injection valve for use on a container of a liquefield volatile fuel such as butane which is adapted to be used with either stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valves associated with a lighter, candle or cooking range utilizing butane as a fuel. The fuel injection valve includes a fuel dispensing nozzle which is depressed during a fueling operation against a spring pressure to open a path for fuel flow from inside the fuel container through the nozzle. The end of the fuel nozzle is provided with a tapered bore segment to operably contact and actuate a stem member of a stem-type filling valve to open the valve and nodular extensions are provided on the end of the fuel nozzle to contact and depress a disc member of a disctype filling valve or ball member of a ball-type filling valve to open the valve.

United States Patent 1191 Donahue Oct. 9, 1973 FUEL INJECTION VALVEPrimary ExaminerEdward L. Roberts [75] Inventor: Gerald E. Donahue,lrvington, NJ. Attorney-Lewis Eslmger et [73] Assignee: RonsouCorporation, Woodbridge,

NJ. [57] ABSTRACT Filed; P 1972 A fuel injection valve for use on acontainer of a liquefield volatile fuel such as butane which is adaptedto 21 A LN ..245 113 l 1 pp 0 be used with either stem-type, disc-typeor ball-type filling valves associated with a lighter, candle or cook-[52] US. Cl. 141/349, 141/293 i g ra ge utilizing butane as a fuel, Thefuel injection [51] ll". Cl 865') 1/04 valve includes a fuel dispensing02213 which is de- [58] Fltld 01 Search 141/2, 3, 291-296, pressedduring a fueling operation against a spring 141/346, 349-35l;l37/6l4-02; 251/149 R pressure to open a path for fuel flow from insidethe fuel container through the nozzle. The end of the fuel RdefellcfisCited nozzle is provided with a tapered bore segment to op- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS erably contact and actuate a stem member of a stem-3,085,601 4/1963 Zellweger 141 293 type filling Valve open the valve andnodular exten- 3,115,9o7 12/1963 Labat 141/349 x Sions are provided Onthe end of the fuel nozzle to 3,174,519 3/1965 Pizzurro et a1....141/295 contact and depress a disc member of a disc-type fi1l- 3,473,88610/1969 Leeds 141/348 X ing valve or ball member of a ball-type fillingvalve to open the valve.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEUDBI 1913 3,768,902

SHEET 1. [if 3 W M X 1 i PATENTEDUCT m 3.763.902

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FUEL INJECTION VALVE The present invention relates to fuel injectionvalves and more in particular to fuel injection valves for use oncontainersof pressurized liquefied fuel used to fuel lighting deviceswhich may have either a stem-type, disc-type or ball-type filling valve.

Lighters, candles and portable cooking ranges which utilize a liquefiedfuel under pressure such as butane must be periodically refueled. Thefuel for refueling is commonly dispensed from a container, where it isstored under pressure, through a fuel injection valve with one type offuel dispensing nozzle fixed on the end I of the container and separateadapters are provided to be inserted over the dispensing nozzleconfiguration provided with the container in order to accommodate afilling valve of a different type.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fuelinjection valve assembly for use on a container of a pressurizedliquefied fuel which can accommodate either a stem-type, disc-type orball-type filling valve with equal facility.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuelinjection vlave assembly and fuel dispensing nozzle configurationwherein the nozzle is adapted to accommodate either stem-type, disc-typeor ball-type filling valves over a wide range of sizes andconfiguration.

These and other objects and advantages will become more readily apparentin the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel container and filling valve;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the end of the fuel dispensingnozzle of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the fuel dispensing nozzle end of the presentinvention taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the fuel container and fuelinjection valve assembly of the present invention in operable engagementwith a filling valve of the stem type;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the fuel container and fuel injectionvlave assembly of the present invention in operable engagement with afilling valve of the disc yp FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on theline 7--7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the fuel container and fuel injectionvlave assembly in operable engagement with a ball-type filling valve.

With reference now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 to 3, a fuelcontainer 10 adapted to hold a supply of a liquefied fuel, such asbutane, uner pressure is provided with a fuel injection vlave assembly12 at one end. The valve assembly 12 includes an extending fueldispensing nozzle member 14 adapted to contact and actuate a fillingvalve in the fuel reservoir of a lighter or the like. The nozzle 14serves to direct the fuel from container 10 to the fuel reservoir and isprovided with a knecked down end segment 16 to contact and actuate thefilling vlave.

Referring to FIGS. 4 through 7 as well, fuel dispensing nozzle 14includes a solid base segment 18 integral with an extending cylindricalsegment, 20 defining a fuel passage 22 therethrough. An access passage24 is provided through the wall of the cylindrical segment 20 to permitfuel to flow from the pressurized container 10 through the nozzle 14.

Fuel container 10 includes an end cap assembly 26 in which is housed thefuel injection valve assembly 12. End cap' assembly 26 includes an endwall member 28 suitably secured to the container 10 provided with acentral opening 30 therein through which nozzle 14 is slidably disposed.A valve housing 32 is secured to the underside of end wall 28 and asealing ring 34 is mounted against the end cap member 28 to seal thecontainer. Sealing ring 34 includes a through bore 36 therein having aninternal diameter closely approximating the external diameter ofcylindrical segment 20 of nozzle 14 and effectively seals the containeragainst escape of fuel through opening 30.

Extending from the opposite side of base segment 18 is a cylindricalmember 38 disposed within housing 32. A compression spring member 40 isprovided to seat against the base segment 18 and a shoulder segment 42within housing 32. Compression spring member 40 tends to urge the nozzleoutwardly so that base segment 18 seats against sealing ring 36 withaccess passage 24 in register with sealing ring 36 effectively sealingthe fuel passage in nozzle 14 so that no fuel can enter the accesspassage and nozzle 14. When the fuel container is engaged upon a fillingvlave, the container is pressed against the filling valve so that nozzle14 is displaced inwardly into container 10 against the force of spring40 until access passage 24 clears the confines of sealing ring 36. Thusa path for fuel flow is opened from within the container to the fuelpassage 22 in nozzle 14.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, end 16 of the nozzle 14 is providedwith an opening 44 which has a greater diameter than the fuel passage 22through the nozzle terminating in a transitional segment 46 having aninwardly sloping wall segment 48. The end 50 of nozzle 14 is alsoprovided with at least a ,pair of diametrically opposed nodularextensions 52, whose function will be described more fully hereinafter.1

FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically a stem-type filling valve assembly 54mounted within a wall 56 of a fuel reservoir in a device (not shown)such as a lighter, candle or the like. The filling valve assembly 54includes a cylindrical housing 58 suitably affixed and recessed withinthe wall 56 of the fuel reservoir by mating screw threads 60. A movablevlave stem 62 having a filling bore 64 extending therethrough andterminating in a lateral through passage 66 is disposed within the valvehousing 58.

The valve stem 62 is slidably supported within the valve housing 58 andincludes a shoulder segment 68 which provides a bearing surface for oneend of a compression spring 70. The other end of spring 70 abuts againsta retaining ring 72 fixed within housing 58 and,

when no force is exerted on the stem 62, the spring urges the stemupwardly so that the lateral through passsage 66 is in register with asealing ring 74 fixed within valve housing 58..When the fuel reservoiris to be filled, fuel injection nozzle 14 is telescoped over the top ofvlave stem 62 and the pressure exerted on the fuel container depressesthe valve stem against the action of the spring 70 so that throughpassage 66 is moved below sealing ring 74 to permit fuel flow to thefuel reservoir through filling bore 64 and out through passage 66through an opening 76 in the valve housing and into the fuel reservoir.

As best seeen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal cofiguration of end 16 ofthe fuel injection nozzle 14 is designed so as to accommodate a widevariation in stem sizes and configuration. vThe internal diameter of thefuel passage of nozzle 14 at its end 16 decreases from a maximum at 44through a transition zone at 46 to a minimum diameter at passage 22.Thus the nozzle is able to accommodate stems of stem valves which varyfrom a maximum external diameter corresponding to the external diameterat section 44 to a minimum external diameter corresponding to slightlylarger than the internal diameter of the passage 22. This is so becausethe inwardly inclinded tapered section 46 will contact the upper surfaceof valve stem in this diameter range and, when pressure on the fuelcontainer 10 is exerted, the valve stem will be depressed to free thefuel passage to the fuel reservoir while simultaneously depressing thefuel injection nozzle 14 against the pressure of spring 40 to open afuel passage from the interior of container 10 to the interior of thefuel reservoir. Since the fuel is stored in container 10 under pressure,the fuel flow is from container 10 into the fuel reservoir.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation of the fuel injectionvalve of the present invention on a disctype filling valve is shown. ina disc-type filling valve assembly 80 the valve assembly is recessedwithin a wall 82 of a fuel reservoir with the filling vlave assemblybeing fastened to the fuel reservoir wall by mating screw threads 84.

In this type of filling valve the cylindrical valve housing 86 includesan end wall member 88 and an upper fuel inlet opening 90 which isnormally sealed by a disctype sealing member 92 carried by a movableplunger element 94. The plunger element 94 has an upper shoulder segment96 and a lower shank segment 98 and a compression spring member 100 isdisposed about shank segment 98 and seats against shoulder 96 of plungerelement 94 and against end wall 88 of the valve housing 86. The spring100 normally urges the plunger element 94 upwardly so that the sealingdisc 92 is pressed into sealing contact against fuel access passage 90to seal the fuel reservoir. A fuel access passage 102 is provided in theside wall of the housing 86 immediately below the fuel access opening90.

When the fuel nozzle 14 of the present invention is utilized in fillingvalves of the disc-type, the end 16 of the filling nozzle is placed incontact with the sealing disc 92 and pressure is exerted on the fuelcontainer 10 to depress the disc 92 and plunger 94 against the force ofspring 100 to unseat the sealing disc 92 from the fuel access opening90. Simultaneously, the exterted pressure depresses the nozzle 14against the force of spring 40 to open a fuel passage from the interiorof fuel container 10 through the nozzle 14. The nodular extensions 52 onthe end of nozzle 14 contact the disc 92 so that the end 50 of nozzle 14is spaced above the surface of the sealing disc 92 to provide an accesspassage 104 so that fuel dispensed from container 10 through the nozzle14 flows through the access passage 104 and passage 102 to the interiorof the fuel reservoir.

Thus the nodular extensions 52 on the end wall 50 of fuel nozzle 14provide a ready means of contacting a sealing disc in a disc-typefilling valve and, when pressure is exerted on the fuel containerassociated with the fuel nozzle, to depress the sealing disc away fromthe sealing engagement in the filling valve and define a fuel passagethrough the valve to fill the fuel reservoir.

As seen in FIG. 8, the operation of the fuel injection valve of thepresent invention on a ball-type filling valve assembly is shown. In aball-type filling valve the valve assembly 110 is recessed within a wall112 of a fuel reservoir and the valve assembly is suitably secured tothe fuel reservoir wall by mating screw threads 114.

The ball-type filling valve includes a cylindrical valve housing 116closed by a lower end wall member 118. An annular stop 120 is providedspaced from the end wall 118 and an annular seal 12], which ispreferably a rubber-like material is disposed adjacent the annular stop120. A ball member 122 is provided within the housing 116 and a spring124 within the housing acts against end wall 118 and ball 122 to urgethe ball upwardly against the annular stop and seal 121 to seal thecircular opening 126 defined by the annular seal 121.

Fuel access passages 128 are provided in the wall of the housing 116below the annular seal 12] and when the ball 122 is urged against theannular seal 120 by spring 124 the ball effectively seals the fuelaccess passages 128 as well as the opening 128 so that the fuelreservoir is sealed.

When the fuel nozzle 14 of the present invention is used with fillingvalves of the ball-type the end 16 of the filling nozzles is placed incontact with the ball 122 and pressure is exerted on the fuel containerto depress the ball 122 against the force of spring 124. Ball 122retracts from opening 126 and moves clear of fuel access passages 128 toopen a passage for fuel flow into the fuel reservoir.

The exerted pressure depresses nozzle 14, as set forth above, so that afuel passage is opened from the interior of the fuel container throughthe nozzle 14. The nodular extensions 52 on the end of nozzle 14 contactthe surface of ball 122 and limit the degree of contact between thenozzle end and the spherical surface of ball 122. Thus an access 130between the nozzle end 50 and the surface of ball 122 is maintained andfuel dispensed from the container through the nozzle flows throughaccess 130 and passages 128 to the interior of the fuel reservoir.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a multi-purpose fuelinjection valve assembly to accommodate a wide variation in valve sizesand configurations of either the stem-type, disc-type or ball-typefilling valve.

What is claimed is:

l. A fuel injection nozzle for use in a fuel injection valve assembly ona fuel container containing a supply of a liquefied fuel comprising,

an elongated nozzle member operatively associated within said valveassembly,

said nozzle member defining a fuel passage therein adapted tocommunicate with the interior of said fuel container when said fuelcontainer is engaged with and placed in refueling position on a fillingvalve assembly of a fuel reservoir to be refueled,

said nozzle member provided with means to operatively engage a stemmember of a stem-type filling valve thereby to open said stem-type vlaveto open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuel reservoirassociated with said stem-type valve, and said nozzle member furtherprovided with means separate from said first named means to operativelyengage a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of aball-type filling valve thereby to open said disc-type and ball-typevalves to open a fuel flow path from said container to the fuelreservoir associated with said valves.

2. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means toengage a stem memberof a stem-type filling valve comprises an openingwith the end of said nozzle to telescopingly engage said stem member,said opening being defined by a bore within said nozzle end, said boreincluding a first segment near said nozzle end having a cross-sectionalarea greater than the cross-sectional area of said nozzle fuel passageand transitional segment adjacent said first segment dates stem membersvarying in size between the limits of the maximum and minimumcross-sectional areas of said bore.

3. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 2 wherein said first boresegment is a cylindrical bore and said transitional segment is afrusto-conical segment having an inwardly sloping wall terminating atsaid nozzle fuel passage.

4. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means toengage a disc member of a disctype filling valve and a ball member ofaball-type filling valve comprises, at least one nodular extensionextending from the end of said nozzle wherein when said nozzle isengaged against a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ballmember of a ball-type filling valve said nodular extension limits theextent of contact between said nozzle end and said disc member and ballmember to define a fuel exit passage between the nozzle end and saiddisc member and ball member whereby fuel may flow from said nozzlethrough said filling valves to a fuel reservoir.

5. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 4 wherein at least a pairof said nodular extensions are provided on diametrically oppositepositions on said nozzle end.

1. A fuel injection nozzle for use in a fuel injection valve assembly ona fuel container containing a supply of a liquefied fuel comprising, anelongated nozzle member operatively associated within said valveassembly, said nozzle member defining a fuel passage therein adapted tocommunicate with the interior of said fuel container when said fuelcontainer is engaged with and placed in refueling position on a fillingvalve assembly of a fuel reservoir to be refueled, said nozzle memberprovided with means to operatively engage a stem member of a stem-typefilling valve thereby to open said stem-type valve to open a fuel flowpath from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with saidstem-type valve, and said nozzle member further provided with meansseparate from said first named means to operatively engage a disc memberof a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of a ball-type fillingvalve thereby to open said disc-type and ball-type valves to open a fuelflow path from said container to the fuel reservoir associated with saidvalves.
 2. A fuel injection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein saidmeans to engage a stem member of a stem-type filling valve comprises anopening within the end of said nozzle to telescopingly engage said stemmember, said opening being defined by a bore within said nozzle end,said bore including a first segment near said nozzle end having across-sectionaL area greater than the cross-sectional area of saidnozzle fuel passage and transitional segment adjacent said first segmentwith a decreasing cross-sectional area moving axially inwardly of saidnozzle end wherein the corss-sectional area of said bore decreases fromthe cross-sectional area at said first segment to the cross-sectionalarea at said fuel passage whereby said nozzle end accommodates stemmembers varying in size between the limits of the maximum and minimumcross-sectional areas of said bore.
 3. A fuel injection nozzle asdefined in claim 2 wherein said first bore segment is a cylindrical boreand said transitional segment is a frusto-conical segment having aninwardly sloping wall terminating at said nozzle fuel passage.
 4. A fuelinjection nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to engage adisc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ball member of aball-type filling valve comprises, at least one nodular extensionextending from the end of said nozzle wherein when said nozzle isengaged against a disc member of a disc-type filling valve and a ballmember of a ball-type filling valve said nodular extension limits theextent of contact between said nozzle end and said disc member and ballmember to define a fuel exit passage between the nozzle end and saiddisc member and ball member whereby fuel may flow from said nozzlethrough said filling valves to a fuel reservoir.
 5. A fuel injectionnozzle as defined in claim 4 wherein at least a pair of said nodularextensions are provided on diametrically opposite positions on saidnozzle end.